The competitive onslaught from Transportation Network Companies has disrupted ground transportation industries like nothing before. While taxis, limousines, shuttles and para-transits are all legal and licensed vehicle-for-hire businesses, there are many obvious differences. But they all have one thing in common in trying to compete with a common opponent that operates without equal and consistent regulations, and as of this writing has an estimated valuation of $40 billion.

In the last two years, TNCs have partially eroded the market share of traditional ground transportation by avoiding or modifying regulations that should fully apply to them as well. This enables TNCs to charge lower rates, or fares, and undercut their competitors.

Industry leaders such as Fogarty are tasked with a vast educational effort about TNC safety and service problems while working to achieve regulatory parity on multiple federal, state and local government fronts. His challenge is to lead the various sectors to put aside any differences and unite to stop the TNC juggernaut whose business model depends on destroying legal, regulated transportation businesses.

Fogarty, the CEO of the Americas division of Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services, based in Boston, formally started his term on Oct. 18, 2014 and will serve through October of this year. He recently spoke with LCT Magazine about the challenges ahead, and how the TLPA can benefit taxi and limo operators alike.